


A Little Dizzy

by tirsynni



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23633269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirsynni/pseuds/tirsynni
Summary: "Are you okay?!" Revali asked, and something settled for Link then.
Relationships: Link/Revali (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 586





	A Little Dizzy

“Are you okay?!” Revali asked, anxiety as clear as Revali wasn’t, and Link felt dizzy from it.

Or perhaps that was the last lucky strike from Windblight. His head and side throbbed thanks to his hard landing. His shoulder screamed where Windblight struck him. Even with his Snowquill clothes, Vah Medoh’s deck felt icy under Link as he pushed himself to his hands and knees. In contrast, the blood dripping from his forehead felt burning hot. There was nothing graceful about that landing. He expected Revali’s words to be about  _ that _ , not asking about  _ Link. _

No one asked about Link. “I’m fine,” he said aloud, affirmation to himself, and to soothe the unexpected worry in Revali’s voice no matter how much Link --

Link shoved it all away. When he threw himself back into the battle and Revali cheered him on, calling out encouragement and advice, Link held each word close.

Even if the rest of the world was a mess of unspoken tales, Link tried to be open with himself. That first  _ “Are you okay?!”  _ was why, even as he had so many other responsibilities, he found himself returning to Rito Village again and again. He wished he could record them on the Sheikah Slate, his memory already proven to be a useless thing. Replay those three words when huddled in a cave out of the rain or when nursing his latest wound. Keep them close even when his memory betrayed him again.

Well, those three words were part of the reason for his frequent returns to the area. There were Shrines, of course, but he hated those. More tasks and challenges set for the “Hylian Champion,” to help him “grow stronger,” and he didn’t understand why their aid came in the form of puzzles or why their aid came a hundred years too late. He soothed himself after these encounters by visiting Saki and Teba and the other villagers. There was something comforting about Rito Village and its people, and he tried not to wonder if it was this comforting to Princess Zelda’s Knight. No one knew who he was and it didn’t matter. There was warmth and a sense of home instead of constant challenges and demands. 

Link rewarded himself for finding three Shrines in the mountain by visiting Saki. After she scolded him for not checking in for a while -- it had been a week, Link thought, but it was hard to keep track of days sometimes -- she fed him lunch and packed him food to take to Teba and Tulin. By the time Link finished that, as well as enjoyed a small visit with the pair, it was close to sunset. Teba bade him to tell Master Revali hello for him and Link agreed. Teba had no clue how literal Link was, only thought Link was being remarkably respectful for a Hylian.

The cold, unyielding rock where Vah Medoh perched reminded Link of Medoh’s deck, although he knew better than to say that aloud. It froze his ass through his Snowquill trousers as he sat by Vah Medoh, arms wrapped around his knees, quietly waiting. The sun seemed to set early here, the horizon glowing a soft orange early in the evening. The cold wind gained an extra bite, already loud enough and strong enough to drown out the sounds of the village below. The castle was an ominous shadow in the distance, targeted by both Vah Ruta and Vah Medoh. The darker the sky grew, the brighter the Malice circling the castle became.

“You finally gain expressions, and it’s to make such pathetic faces.” Revali settled beside him in a cloudy glow of green. Something about Revali’s scowl softened the icy rock which liked to settle in Link’s chest. Relaxing, Link watched as a purple sheen swept the land. Snowflakes drifted through the air, mingling with the white puffs of Link’s breath.

“Teba says hello.”

“Hmph. You tell the bastard that if he shoots at Medoh again, I’m shooting  _ him _ .”

Link let his lips curve a little but didn’t reply. He kept his eyes focused on the horizon. Slowly, the sky darkened, the soft purples and oranges turning red. Unable to stop himself, Link shivered, the lovely red of the sunset too similar to the gleam of Ganon’s Malice and the Guardians. The Mozo Shenno Shrine on Biron Snowshelf surprised Link with its challenge:  _ A Major Test of Strength _ , the monk called it. While the Guardian wasn’t like the Guardians in the field, it still awoke a spike of terror and dread in Link’s heart.

Then… “Are you okay?” Revali demanded. Link exhaled, back above Rito Village and Lake Totori. He shivered again, the sense memory of  _ red _ and  _ pain _ not quite leaving him, and Revali cursed like Link had only heard the Rito do so far. “Of course you aren’t. You featherless creatures have  _ abysmal _ cold tolerance, and what do you do? For Hylia’s sake, build a fire already, you idiot!”

Underneath Revali’s sharp tone was that familiar worry. Link wished he could tell him that Revali was the first since he awoke to sound so anxious about Link. No one else until then had asked him if he was all right. No one else until then was with him in battle, worrying about him and encouraging him. 

Link still had so few memories of a century ago and really only one of Revali, but these new memories? He cherished them more than he could describe to Revali. The battle, talking to him, Revali watching the sunset with him…

So he did the next best thing. “It’s beautiful up here,” Link said, cutting off Revali’s rant about blue lips. His voice was soft and hoarse, the dry, cold air making his rough throat that much worse. He didn’t mind. “With you.”

Revali stuttered to a halt, and Link looked down at the dark rock under his feet. Still, he could see the ghostly glow around Revali brighten, his translucent feathers fluff. Link smiled wistfully. If he didn’t look, it was easy to pretend that Revali breathed little white puffs of air, too.

After a rough cough, Revali spoke. “You should see the lights to the north. No other place in Hyrule has anything like them.” Even sitting so close to Link, Link barely heard his sigh. “Take a picture with that fancy Slate of yours. It has to be good for something.”

Then Revali barrelled on, giving Link no chance to respond, harassing Link until he built a fire. How was Link supposed to save Hyrule if he lost his fingers to frostbite? Did he lose his mind as well as his memory in the Shrine of Resurrection?

Still, Link didn’t forget Revali’s words. The night before he headed to the desert, Link transported himself to one of the northern Shrines and waited. He stood, shivering in the cold, wrapping his arms around him. He stared fixedly at the night sky, watching the snow swirl and the stars shine. Just as the lights appeared above, ethereal and dancing, Link summoned Revali’s Gale.

It turned out that Revali’s surprised gasp and delighted grin made Link feel a little dizzy, too.

**Author's Note:**

> For more Revalink and LoZ, check me out on [tumblr](https://tirsynni.tumblr.com/). :)


End file.
